


There's Nothing Holding Me Back

by nohomostylinson



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Cute, Falling In Love, Fluffy Ending, Inspired by Music, Love at First Sight, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-04
Updated: 2018-08-15
Packaged: 2019-06-05 01:23:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15159329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nohomostylinson/pseuds/nohomostylinson
Summary: Harry and Louis both thought they'd never fall in love, but it was four in the morning and neither boy had been happier, so they figured it couldn't do any harm.very short, very fluffy, no drama[Also posted on Wattpad @nohomostylinson]





	1. Prom and Eyelashes

Word Count: 3,706

There's absolutely nothing in Harry's past that makes him not want to fall in love. No tortured exes who made him lose belief, no unrequited love experiences, no parental fights to make him disinterested. He just doesn't find it necessary. 

And he didn't consider himself aromantic, either. It wasn't that he never wanted to be in a relationship, he really doesn't think it could happen to him. Sure, he'd love it. It just seems unrealistic to him. He thinks maybe he reads too much fiction novels that convince him such unrealistic things could happen. 

Harry's reflecting on this early one day after not sleeping the night before. In fact, it's three in the morning. He's sitting on his roof, and if he wanted it he could create hilariously cliche scenarios that could happen while he's there, but he really didn't want that. He just wanted to sit and listen to his Spotify playlist called soft:) and look at the sky. There was something calming to him to look up and not see any power lines and only see the dark sky and shining stars through some tree branches.

Sometimes Harry wishes he had a better mind for his thoughts because he's trying to think of a way to describe the beauty he sees before him but there's absolutely no way he can. Maybe he needs an internal thesaurus.

And then Harry thinks that he's slipped into his hyperactive, romance movie and novel-induced imagination even though he doesn't want to because there's someone sitting next to him on the roof. But it feels different, and so Harry says "hi" without looking over. It seems to startle the person, probably because they didn't think either one of them would say anything so soon.

"Oh, hi," the person says, and Harry determines that though the voice sounds sort of feminine, it's definitely a man. "I heard your music. I live next door."

Harry sits up quickly and turns the speaker he was playing music on down. "Oh, I'm so sorry. Was I bothering you?"

The boy sits up as well, and Harry lets himself look over at him for the first time. "No, of course not! I'd be yelling at you if it bothered me, not climbing up here and sitting with you."

Harry calms down instantly, watching as the boy leans over his body to turn the music a few notches back up, but not to the volume it was at before. "Have we met before?" He questions as they both lie down again.

"I don't think so," the boy says, and Harry can see him playing with his fingers out of the corner of his eye. "I'm Louis," he states, turning onto his side and holding out one of his hands. Harry follows suit, shaking the boy's hand and trying his best to see his face.

The wind blowing works in his favor as it blows some of the branches laying above them out of the way so shafts of moonlight drape across Louis' face. Harry thinks his eyes are light grey maybe, but that could be the reflection from the moon.

"My name's Harry, by the way," Harry adds after a few seconds when he realizes that he hadn't said anything to Louis' introduction.

Louis grins, teeth shining almost as bright as his eyes. "I was wondering if you were ever going to say something or if you were just going to stare at me for eternity."

They stopped shaking hands once Harry realized they'd been doing that for a while, but they both remain on their sides. "What made you come up here if it wasn't the loud music?"

Louis shrugs, or does his best at shrugging as he's lying on his side. "I dunno, it's not often you hear someone outside blasting Shawn Mendes at three in the morning who's not having a party."

Harry snorts, grinning again. "Is Shawn Mendes really party music?"

"Hey, a lot of his stuff is fun!" Louis protests, sitting up. "This roof really isn't the most comfortable resting area... why the fuck are you up here?" 

"This playlist is called soft with a smiley face; none of his loud, party-worthy stuff is on it," Harry explains, earning a nod from Louis. He sits up as well before answering the second half of the boy's question, "I don't know, really. I do this a lot when I can't sleep but normally I don't bring a speaker. I did this time. Obviously."

"Yeah, obviously," Louis agrees, laughing. He doesn't question why Harry can't sleep, and instead asks, "do you live alone?" 

And Harry thinks maybe that's his sly way of asking if he sleeps with anyone at night so he nods. "I do, yeah, graduated uni a few months ago and got this place," he says, to continue the conversation

Louis nods along, looking away from Harry and out to the house to the left of his. He points at it, saying, "I lived there with my boyfriend for two years." 

Harry doesn't see what he's trying to say with that statement, so he glances at the boy with a confused look on his face in hopes Louis will understand that he doesn't understand.

Louis smiles at Harry when he looks back over and sees the puppy dog questioning face he has on. "I was saying that so you'd realize that I'm one, living alone, so therefore single, and two, gay," he explains, grinning when Harry's eyes widen in surprise.

"Oh, okay," is all Harry says, looking away in the same way Louis had moments before and glancing at his house. "How old are you?"

"24, you? Wait, let me guess! 22?" Harry nods, smiling at the cocky look on Louis' face when he gets it right. "Fuck yeah! I'm a genius. Actually, I'm not, I just figured since you said you graduated uni... Oh wait, where'd you go?"

"I went to Oxford. Grew up near here so I moved back to be closer to my family," Harry says, pulling out his phone to skip the song that was playing. Now it's Fallin' All in You by Shawn Mendes and Harry has the urge to sing along.

"Oooh, Oxford grad ladies and gentlemen! What a cool man!" Louis calls out loudly, making Harry crack up but slap a hand over his mouth to make him quiet down. "Oh shit, you're right, wouldn't want to wake up the neighbors!" Louis says through his hand sarcastically before ripping off Harry's hand. "Oh wait, that's me. And, last I checked, I was awake."

Harry shakes his head fondly at Louis' sassy personality, very glad this exciting creature had joined him randomly on this random night. Then, they fall into comfortable silence, Louis on his phone and Harry giving in to his urge to sing.

The morning turns all the more cliche when the song finishes and Louis actually gives him a standing ovation, allowing Harry to notice not only how small Louis is but also what he's wearing, and what he's wearing is almost as cute as how small he is. It's an oversized purple sweater over rolled up jeans paired with Vans, and on literally anyone else Harry would've cringed but on Louis it's sweet.

Harry grins and stands as well, hearing the new song playing and having a new urge that he immediately gives in to. "Would you like to dance with me on this incredibly unsafe rooftop at four am this lovely, if slightly cold, morning, Louis?"

Now it's Louis' turn to laugh at Harry's personality because it's just so over the top and amazing. He laughs, but he nods as well and takes Harry's outstretched hand. They balance as best as they can and just kind of sway along to In My Blood, Harry whisper-singing the words and resting his head on Louis' because, yes, he is that short.

"This reminds me of fucking prom," Louis says quietly when In My Blood turns to a song he doesn't know. "Except the person I'm dancing with is much more attractive and probably isn't just using me for my ass."

And that makes Harry laugh the hardest he had all night and maybe even in a few days. Louis pulls away from his chest and grins up at him, happy that he's made this boy happy.

"Would you like to come inside?" Harry offers about halfway through the song. Louis unexpectedly gasps and pulls away, smacking his chest lightly.

"Harry! I just said I thought you weren't using me for my ass!" Louis exclaims, and Harry laughs even harder.

"No, not like that!" Harry says quickly, pulling the small boy back towards him. "It's just cold out here and I spend too much money on heating here to be sitting outside and freezing."

"Aw, baby Harry's shivering," Louis notices, un entangling their hands to run his along Harry's sleeves. "Okay, let's go in."

Harry nods, grabbing his speaker and turning it off before leading Louis down the ladder he has propped up along the wall. Once inside, Harry runs to his room to plug in the speaker to charge it. The houses in their complex are one floor only but have two bedrooms and two bathrooms, which was amazing for Harry because he has his sister come over to stay with him sometimes.

Harry turns around from where he was crouched by his bed to head back to the living room where he assumed Louis stayed but notices the boy looking at photos on his bedroom wall. He thanks his earlier self for cleaning his room and making his bed as he walks over to Louis and puts his head on his shoulder. Louis insinctively leans back into the touch but then notices a particular photo and leans forward.

"Who're they?" He questions, pointing at the photo in question.

Harry leans in himself, stepping next to Louis instead of behind him as he points to each person in the group picture and introduces them. "Oh, that's my best friend from high school, Niall. He lives with his girlfriend a few blocks away. That's Zayn, he's dating this one, who's Liam, I met them both that Oxford. They live in Bradford with Zayn's parents which I think is a little awkward but they claim it's great. And that one's my sister, Gemma, we're very close as you can see."

"You look so happy," Louis observes. "You're, like, in the center of attention and everyone loves you."

Harry grins. He loves his friend group so much, even though they live in different parts of the UK they still find times to meet up and hang out. The photo that Louis is examining was from the last time they'd all been together, in Harry's parents backyard all around a campfire. They'd all gotten drunk and played spin the bottle and the night was filled with bad decisions. It was great.

"I love my friends," is all Harry says to make Louis look at him with the largest smile possible on his face, and now Harry can tell that his eyes aren't, in fact, the light grey he'd seen earlier. They're the lightest shade of blue possible and yet the color is so bright and intense that Harry really doesn't want to look away.

Neither boy realizes that if someone were to walk into Harry's room right now they'd see two boys standing very close and involved in what looks like a staring contest. That's because while Harry's obviously drawn into Louis' eyes, he doesn't notice that Louis is looking at every part of Harry's face and internally screaming because it's all so perfect and beautiful.

Harry's thoughts at that moment are similar to when he was trying to describe the night sky only an hour earlier. He knows there are better words to describe everything he's observing in Louis' eyes and yet all he can think is gorgeous.

"I'm flattered," Louis breaks the silence by saying. Harry's about to question it but then he realizes that he's the one who broke the silence by whispering the word gorgeous with no explanation. "I could say the same about you."

Harry always thought that he was against the horribly cliche things that went on in fiction stories but this moment, this boy standing in front of him, is very real, so he has to accept them as they come. And maybe he enjoys the cliche-ness of the scenario.

"We should sit in the living room," Harry says softly, grabbing Louis' hand and attempting to pull him out of his bedroom, but Louis stands quite still and strongly so Harry's surprised when he's pulled back.

"Let's stay in here," Louis suggests, motioning towards Harry's bed. "Your bed looks comfy."

"Thought you didn't want me to use you for your ass," Harry muses quietly, making Louis snort as they settle into the bed, both sitting criss-cross across though not too far away from one another.

"Don't think about it like that, sweet Harry," Louis says, reaching across the small space between them and stroking Harry's face softly. "What's your last name?"

"Styles, you?"

"Tomlinson, but I like Styles better," Louis says. Harry's going to question what he means by that but Louis' picked up on his slowness when it comes to these things that he's already explaining it by the time Harry's opened his mouth. "That means I'd like to have your last name instead of mine. In reference to marriage."

And Harry's left just as, if not more, dumbstruck as before when Louis mentioned he was gay and single. Louis, again, grins at his reaction. "I'd quite like to have a photo of that face plastered on every wall in my house," he says jokingly.

Harry snaps out of his stunned state of mind at this comment and slaps Louis' leg lightly, laughing anyway. "What do you want to do?" He questions once they've settled into another comfortable silence.

Louis leans back onto his hands and shrugs. "I dunno, you invited me here," he says, causing Harry internal panic because shit, he just invited Louis back into his house without even having an idea of what to do with him. Louis laughs loudly at Harry's face again for some reason, but then says, "I'm joking! It's fine. We can play twenty questions, yeah?"

Harry nods, calming down as he says, "how very middle school of you, Mr. Tomlinson."

"Thank you, Mr. Styles," Louis says, grinning and attempting to blow a piece of fallen hair out of his face. It doesn't work, and he looks so exasperated and angry that Harry leans over and fixes it for him. "Thanks," he says again, seemingly more breathless this time than before. "Okay, you go first."

"What's your favorite color?" Harry asks after a few seconds of thinking.

"I like purple and black, especially together," Louis says. "What about you?"

"Pink and blue, but only together depending on shades," Harry motions to his t-shirt that uses both colors in its design. "Like this, this works." Louis nods as if he understands though Harry thinks he probably doesn't because his explanation doesn't make much sense. 

"What's your favorite animal?" Louis questions.

"Penguins! They're so cute and floppy."

Louis smiles fondly and says, "I quite like giraffes."

"Why, 'cause they're tall and you're not?" Harry jokes, making Louis' jaw drop in fake offense. He scoffs as Louis slaps his face lightly, hand lingering to stroke it again.

"Your skin is so soft," Louis comments. Really, from anyone else, this whole situation would be horribly weird to Harry, but Louis has a way of making it not.

"Thank you?" Harry says as a question, because he's not sure if soft skin is a compliment. At Louis' nod, he continues. "Do you have any tattoos?"

Harry asks this partially because he wants to know and partially because he has a gut feeling that Louis has tattoos on his chest and that Louis will take off his shirt to show them to him. It's weird, just like Louis' previous comment, but Harry has tattoos on his stomach too so he'd take off his shirt to show them as well.

"I do!" Louis says, obviously happy this has been brought up. "I've got a some on my arms and some on my stomach and chest areas, what about you?" He makes no move to take his shirt off, though, which disappoints Harry for a second before he remembers that he can still take his off and subconsciously make Louis do the same.

"I've got some on my chest also, and one on my thigh and some on my arms," he tells Louis proudly. "Wanna see?"

Louis' face lights up as though he'd been waiting for the idea to be brought up. He nods quickly. "I'll show you mine too, if you want?" He questions, grinning at the nod he receives from Harry.

Both boys take their shirts off as fast as possible before admiring the other's body. Harry decides he likes that Louis doesn't have defined abs like he does, and he also quite likes Louis' tattoos. Louis reaches a hand out to touch Harry's butterfly tattoo, brave as always, and he asks, "why a butterfly?" 

"I don't know, it's inspiring to me because caterpillars go through this whole changing process and then turn into these beautiful creatures. I've always wanted that," Harry says, smiling down at Louis' small hand on his chest.

"You're already beautiful, Harry," Louis says sincerely, smiling up at Harry who's already fonding over the tiny boy crouched on his knees in front of him.

"Thank you, Louis," he says. "Why do you have 'it is what it is'?" 

"My sisters and I make it a habit to always say that when something unfortunate happened. We all love the idea of fate, everything happens for a reason, you know? Our mom said it a lot, too. This is her handwriting," Louis tells Harry.

"That's sweet," Harry says. "I've always wanted to get something handwritten tattooed. Gemma and I might be getting them soon, I'm not sure."

Louis nods and smiles again. "Okay, back to twenty questions. I'm counting ours about the butterfly and my words as questions so it's my turn again. Would you like to get a tattoo with me?"

Harry looks up at him in surprise. "Really? Why me?"

Shrugging, Louis says, "you're really sweet and I think I'd like to keep talking to you. I also like tattoos."

Harry nods. "In that case, sure. Maybe you could come with Gemma and I and that'll urge her to finally pick a day for us to get ours," he suggests.

"Sounds perfect," Louis says. "Next question; are you single?" 

"Hey, it's my turn!" Harry protests. Louis shrugs, motioning for him to answer the question anyway. "Ugh, it's not like anyone's counting. I am single, and gay as well. I mean, technically pansexual, but that includes guys, so, like, y'know-" Harry's cut off when Louis puts his hand on his thigh and he draws in a breath. They're still both shirtless, but really, it's just another weird time this weird night.

"I get it, Harry," he says. Then, he yawns, and Harry springs into action.

"Are you tired? Shit, this is my fault, I woke you with my music and now you're losing sleep," he says.

Louis laughs, stretching his arms over his head. "I am tired, yeah, but it's not your fault. I liked tonight, Harry," he assures him. Harry nods. "I might be too tired to get back to my house, though..." Louis trails off, leaning back onto his hands again.

Harry thinks for a second before offering, "I could carry you back? Or-"

"Or I could sleep over," Louis says slyly, grinning when Harry gives him a look. "You're not using me for my ass, Harry, seriously. My choice."

"I have a guest bedroom," he tells Louis, who groans.

"I think I'm too tired to get all the way there, Haz," Louis says, yawning and stretching again.

"I could carry-" Harry starts, but Louis takes matters into his own hands and lies his head in Harry's lap, eyelashes brushing the bare skin exposed by the shorts he's wearing. Again, this should be awkward or weird, but nope, Louis' just amused by how enticing Harry looks when he's flustered.

"I could sleep in here," Louis suggests, blinking innocently up at Harry, who bites his lip and looks away.

"Okay, so I'll sleep in the guest room-"

"Harry," Louis says strongly, hand on his arm. "No one's sleeping in the guest room. We can share this bed, yeah?"

Harry's incredibly nervous about it but he says yes all the same because when a sweet creature like Louis lays his head in your lap and insists on sharing a bed with you, can you really deny him that?

Once they've both brushed their teeth and Harry's offered Louis sleeping clothes that were denied and met with a stripping (and smirking) Louis, they lay in bed with a safe amount of space between them.

Louis snuggles into the comforter, feeling warm with Harry's heat and smelling his heavenly shampoo on the pillowcase. Harry faces the ceiling and thinks over the night's events. He thought he'd just be sitting alone on his roof for hours on end and dancing alone to Shawn Mendes and laying in his bed after all that alone and waking up alone, but now he has someone. Someone who's funny and endearing and incredibly attractive. So he's not mad that it's all very cliche and fiction-like.

He's brought out of his thoughts, though, when Louis' small arm drapes over his still-bare chest and his head snuggles awkwardly into Harry's arm. Harry shifts so his arm is around Louis' body and his face is buried into the boy's soft hair.

"Louis?" He mumbles softly, hoping he's not sleeping yet.

"Mhm?" Louis hums, and Harry can feel his long eyelashes again, this time on his chest. Harry decides he likes the feeling.

"Thanks for disrupting my lonesomeness tonight," he says honestly.

"No problem, Harry," Louis replies, lips gently brushing Harry's skin. "It was my pleasure."

"Goodnight, Lou," Harry says.

"Goodnight, Haz. Sleep well."


	2. Blushing and Firsts

Word Count: 3,737

The next morning, the two boys are woken up by a ringing sound. It's not either of their cell phones, as Louis notices when he checks them both and notices that Harry's is dead and Louis' oddly has no service, so he walks out into the living room and notices that Harry has a home phone, which is insane because who the hell still has a house phone?

Harry's not easily woken up and Louis thinks he doesn't realize that there's even a phone ringing so he answers with, "hi, this is Louis Tomlinson, Harry's sleeping, what's going on?"

He's met with a female voice on the other end saying, "oh, hi Louis. You're Harry's neighbor, right? We met a few months ago, I'm not sure you remember."

"I might be able to remember if you told me your name?" Louis suggests trying to remember if he met anyone new besides Harry lately.

"Oh, my name's Gemma. I'm Harry's sister," she says, and Louis realizes that that's why her name sounded so familiar to him yesterday; they'd met.

"Right! I met you in the mail room, didn't I?" Louis exclaims, pulling the cord on the phone as far as it can and sitting on the counter since it doesn't reach a chair.

"Mhm," Gemma hums in response. "Anyway, I just needed to ask Harry–wait, why are you there, Louis? After we met I asked Harry if he knew you but he said no..."

"Oh, we met recently. Had a sleepover last night," Louis tells her honestly. "You were saying before? You needed to ask Harry..."

"Right, okay. Um, we're supposed to get tattoos together some day and he keeps getting annoyed because I won't pick a day so I figured we could just go today. Could you relay that to him as soon as possible and tell him to text me if he can? I tried his cell but I think it's dead."

"Yeah, it is," Louis says. "Sure, I can tell him. He's waking up now, slowly but surely. I'll try to urge him along."

"Okay, perfect!" Gemma says. "Well, I've gotta go for now. Let me know. Thanks, Louis. Bye!"

Then she hangs up, and Louis jumps off of the counter to hang the phone back onto the wall. He's questioning again who still has a cord house phone when Harry walks into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes.

"Who was that calling?" He asks, voice lower than usual and a little bit scratchier.

"Your sister," Louis says casually, scratching his arms awkwardly because he really likes this, waking up with Harry and both of them standing in his kitchen shirtless. He also likes Harry's morning voice. And his morning hair.

"Ah. What'd she want so early?" He nearly groans.

"It's literally eleven," Louis points out, met with only an actual groan from Harry. "Uh, she wanted to know if you two could get tattooed today."

Harry brightens quickly at that. "Yay! Finally she picks a day. You're coming, I'll text her."

He does exactly that after telling Louis to eat whatever he wants and plugging in his phone to charge it.

Harry: so you met lou via phone call! so exciting for you

Gemma: I met him before, remember? Last time I stayed with you.

Harry: ohh yeahhh u met him before I did

Harry: anyway yeah we'll meet you at the tattoo place at like two? Does that work

Gemma: Two works, yeah. Who's we?

Harry: Lou and I, we're gonna get tattoos too

Gemma: Couple tattoos????

Harry: nO no just Friends

Gemma: jUsT fRieNdS

Harry: gemma stop pretending you're a gen z kid

Gemma: Ugh.

Gemma: Tattoo parlor at two. See you.

By the time he's out of the shower it's only eleven thirty. He notices that he's very hungry and subconsciously hopes that Louis hasn't eaten anything yet even though he encouraged him to.

"Lou?" Harry calls from the bedroom, towel wrapped around his waist comfortably. He doesn't hear a response, so he debates going out to talk to the boy in just the towel, but then Louis appears in the doorway.

"Yeah?" He asks, not even flinching at Harry's semi-nakedness. Then again, they did just spend the night shirtless together. It shouldn't surprise him.

"Did you eat anything?"

Louis looks embarrassed. "I got distracted by the photos in your living room. So no."

Harry gives himself a high five mentally as he says, "oh, that's great actually. I was thinking we could go out to lunch before the tattoo thing. And, like, decide what to get and stuff."

Louis grins immediately and nods. "Yes, sounds perfect!" He says excitedly. "Could I maybe shower here? I really don't feel like making the long walk back to my house, you know."

Nodding and laughing a bit, Harry says yes and shows him where everything he might need is. He then leaves him in peace to shower. Harry puts on black jeans, a partially opened pink button down with a few necklaces, and his black boots before leaving the room and walking into the living room to refresh his memory of the possibly embarrassing photos Louis was looking at earlier.

Nothing on the wall seems to be too incriminating, so Harry breathes out happily. He then hears Louis' voice calling for him from the bathroom asking where the towels are, so he heads back into his bedroom.

"Oh shit, are there none left?" Harry asks when Louis can't find them in the closet.

"I mean, maybe? I might just be dumb and blind and not seeing them..." Louis trails off from the other side of the door. "You can come in and look?"

Harry can't help but feel like something's going to happen if he goes in, but what else is he supposed to do? He's also slightly interested in the game Louis is playing, what with letting Harry in while he's obviously fully naked.

So he opens the door and tries his best to remain looking at the floor but then he hears footsteps and a pair of legs, very fit legs, are stood in front of him, right in his line of vision. "How're you gonna open the closet if you don't look up?" Louis teases.

Harry blushes and shakes his head, not looking up. He thinks about holding his arms out to feel his way to the closet, but decides that could end up in a horribly awkward way so he doesn't. Instead, he reaches a hand in the direction of the right wall and follows it until he's reached the corner where he knows the closet is. Once he's there safely, he looks up and opens the door.

"Louis, the towels are literally right here," Harry says, turning around quickly and holding out a towel from where it was shelved right in plain eyesight. "How could you not..." Harry trails off once he sees how close Louis had shifted while he moved into the corner. He quickly turned back around, offering the towel out to Louis behind his back and praying he takes it because God, this situation was by far the weirdest they'd been in.

"Haz, you can turn around," Louis coaxes gently, and Harry does but slowly this time so he can ensure Louis has actually used the towel properly. He has, thank the Lord, but he's also so close and Harry's backed into a corner, literally.

"You knew where the towels were," Harry notes, feeling proud about sounding confident and flirty rather than awkward, but only for a split second because Louis' moving slightly closer and whispering in Harry's ear.

"I did," he says.

"Then why'd you make me come in here?" Harry questions, voice slightly quieter but still confident.

"I quite like the flustered look you get on your face," Louis confesses, again stepping impossibly closer as he does so. "Like yesterday when I touched your butterfly tattoo or cuddled next to you. It's cute."

"You couldn't have figured out another way to do that without making me walk into a room while you were completely naked?" Harry asks, not actually feeling as annoyed as his words sound. Louis is so, so close and Harry can smell his own shampoo in Louis' soft and wet hair, so how can he be mad?

Louis' lips pull into a slow smile as he says, "well, I did think of another way. But I'm not sure you'd like it."

"I think I'd like anything better than this naked trick," Harry says honestly, unsure where Louis is going with this.

"You sure?" He questions. At Harry's confused nod, Louis leans in and tucks his head into Harry's neck, his right hand holding him there. Harry can feel his eyelashes fluttering softly against his skin and for a while he's happy with just that. But then, Harry's entire body sinks against the wall as if it was made of jelly because Louis' lips are pressed against his skin and it feels so good.

Harry's never received a hickey, as he realizes while Louis is gently kissing his neck, but he decides he likes the feeling if it's Louis doing it. Same with a lot of the things Louis does. He can still feel the boy's eyelashes somehow and that mixed with the intoxicating lips latched to his neck and the hair in his face makes Harry absolutely ecstatic.

When Louis pulls away about a minute of gentle kissing later, Harry expects him to have a sassy comment or to move away or at least to say something, but he doesn't. Instead, Louis leans back in to his neck. Harry thinks he's going to leave another hickey but Louis just presses soft kisses all over Harry's skin, every inch of his neck and chin and cheeks. He pecks Harry's nose and every area on his face except the one place both boys want the most, and Harry finds himself completely under the boy's control by the time Louis is hovering over his lips.

Harry wants to grab the back of Louis' neck to make him move faster but it's like his limbs are frozen and glued to the wall. Louis' breath hits Harry's lips and he shivers, his hands finally moving, one to Louis' small waist and one to his fluffy hair.

Louis' hands are already on Harry's shoulders, but he moves one and places it so gently on his cheek that Harry wants to scream. Louis' eyes dart to Harry's to find the consent he needs, and when he attains it through an eager nod, Louis presses his lips against Harry's.

It's the simplest of first kisses. It's not messy nor does it have nearly as much tounge as it does in the movies. It's a simple peck, one similar to all of the other kisses Louis left everywhere on Harry's face and neck, only a few seconds longer. When he pulls away, Louis has a happy smile on his face. He checks to make sure that Harry has the dumbstruck but happy look that he strived to achieve, and when he sees it he nearly lets out a cheer.

"See," Louis points to Harry's face with pride. "That was plan B for if the naked I-need-a-towel situation didn't work."

"I'd say both worked just fine," Harry states, voice the quietest Louis' ever heard it. Louis gives him the largest smile known to man to let him know that he didn't kiss him just to prove a point, and when it's not returned, Louis leans in again and presses another kiss to Harry's lips.

When he pulls away from that one, Louis observes Harry as he asks, "what was that one for?"

"Because I wanted to," Louis says simply, gaining access to yet another flustered Harry look and grinning. "Now, Mr. Styles. I think we should get ready. Well, you're already ready, looking great by the way, but I might need to wear something other than this towel."

Harry definitely agrees because there's no way he's letting this incredibly hot boy who he just kissed in a bathroom leave his house like that. And also because Louis seems to be very against going back to his own house, which means he'll likely be wearing Harry's clothes, something the boy would love to see.

"Let's see, what shall I wear..." Louis is asking himself once Harry pulls himself together enough to leave the bathroom. He's rifling through the clothes in Harry's closet, confirming the Louis-wearing-his-clothes theory. Harry smiles at the sight and crosses over to him to begin to flick through as well.

Eventually, they've thrown together enough of an outfit after much commenting from Louis such as "why would you buy this" and "I want to see you wear this." Harry flushes every time the latter is said and slaps Louis every time the former is said.

Louis ends up in a black T-shirt, his own jeans from the night before because evidently Harry is much taller than him, and a pair of boots Harry convinced him to wear. They made him a bit taller, which he seemed proud of in the mirror, but when he went to check them against Harry's height, he noticed that Harry had on a pair as well.

Louis groans from where he stands less than a foot away from Harry and wraps his arms around his neck casually. Harry's already flustered because this is a kissing position and yet they're not kissing. Louis is complaining: "honestly, fuck you Harry, you gave me these shoes just so you could gloat about how much taller you-" and at that point Harry was already zoned out so he just pulled Louis by his waist closer and kissed him again.

This time, for the first time, Louis is the one that seems taken by surprise. They pull away and Louis steps back after a few seconds, turning to the mirror again but Harry can still see his blush. "I guess I don't mind them so much," Louis says after a minute of silence.

Harry grins at this and pulls out his phone to check the time. "It's only twelve thirty but we can have a long lunch? I know a place."

And so they leave Harry's house, him driving his car and Louis controlling the radio. Harry found it endearing rather than annoying that Louis would change the station if a song came on that he didn't know just because he wanted to sing along.

Harry drives for around twenty minutes and ignores Louis' constant asking of the question "are we there yet?" until they arrive at the restaurant. They get a table for two, which is something Harry's never said and something Louis hasn't heard in a while. Neither minds it.

Once they're seated and have ordered drinks, Harry asks, "so, what tattoo should we get?"

Louis thinks for a second. "What about some sort of ode to a song we listened to last night?" He suggests. "I mean, it's not like we've known each other for long enough to get an inside joke or something."

"We could tattoo the word ass somewhere because you kept insisting I wasn't using you for your ass," Harry adds jokingly, receiving a glare and a light kick under the table from Louis.

"No," he protests. "No, I want something cute that I won't regret getting."

Harry nods, completely understanding what he means. There's nothing like getting a tattoo with someone that you end up hating and then having a negative emotion towards that person just because of the tattoo.

"What about in my blood?" Harry asks, grabbing the pen they'd asked for and a napkin. "We could do cute cursive and shit."

Louis nods along, watching as Harry carefully scratches out something on the napkin. When he's finished, he turns it around so Louis can see clearer. "I like that!" He says, proud of them for figuring something out so quickly. "Could I write one for you and you one for me? The same words and stuff just different handwriting?"

Harry is stunned that Louis wants his handwriting on him, but nods anyway. Because, as previously mentioned, it's hard to say no when it's sweet creature asking. Louis' grin spreads even wider on his face at the nod and leans across the table to peck Harry on the cheek.

From this, Harry realizes that he really needs to work on not blushing when Louis does cute things. That's mainly because Louis is always doing cute things.

The waitress arrives with their drinks a few minutes later and so they order food. Harry pulls out his phone to text Gemma and respond to any other texts he missed while his phone was dead.

Niall: yo do u have my grey supreme sweatshirt i can't find it

Niall: nvm chlo took it

Gemma: Y'all better be eating before this tattoo extravaganza because I'm not feeding you.

Liam: HARRY are you free tonight

Liam: Zayn & I are bored (what else is new) and we wanna come see u and Ni

Liam: can we have a partAy

Zayn: ignore li if you're busy we won't be offended

Zayn: though we do want to see you all

Zayn: exciting things !!

Harry's eyes widen at the amount of texts he has and quickly types out responses to Niall and Gemma's. He's unsure of what to say to Liam and Zayn, though he thinks he'd like to have a party and he thinks he'd like to invite Louis.

So what does he do?

He makes a group chat.

But only after asking Louis, "can I have your number?" and attaining it.

Harry has made a group chat with Liam, Zayn, Niall, Gemma, and Louis.

Harry: the official party group chat has been started

Liam: YES

Louis: wot

Zayn: who's this number I don't have them in my phone

Gemma: Probably Louis.

Niall: who's Louis

Harry: that's Louis

Niall: who's Louis

Louis: I'm Louis

"Harry, what is this?" Louis questions, looking up from his phone in time to see Harry do the same. The latter quickly looks back down again, though, and Louis follows soon after because his phone buzzes again.

Harry: you all will meet this Louis if you come to my house tonight for a party

Harry: Gem brings popcorn, Ni brings beer (and Chloe if he wants),  L&Z bring chips, I bring music!!!

Louis: what does Louis bring

Harry: Louis brings himself

Zayn: unfair! the newbie doesn't have to bring anything!!

Harry: don't call him a newbie

Louis: I'll bring a box of poptarts from my house does that work?

Liam: YES POPTARTS

Gemma: I'll be there. Can Kev come?

Niall: Chloe's coming

Niall: so am I obviously

Liam: if there's poptarts zayn and I are too

Harry: yay!!!!!!!! PartAyyyyy

Harry: yes gem kevin can come

Harry sets his phone down with a grin. He loves throwing parties and he especially loves having his friends over. Plus, Louis' coming, and now he won't feel so alone. It's kind of always been Zayn with Liam, Niall with Chloe, Gemma with her boyfriend, Kevin, and Harry all alone. Of course, his friends never made him feel like that, but there were times where he would anyway.

"So I take it that everyone there is a couple?" Louis infers, scrolling through the people in the group chat. Harry nods in response, setting his phone down with a smile. Louis hums a "mm" and does the same.

The rest of the lunch goes smoothly. Louis questions Harry about his friends as and what they normally do at events like these, and then begins to grow nervous about hanging around Harry's sister.

"Harry, what if she hates me?" He frets. Harry laughs.

"It takes a lot for Gem to hate someone, Lou," Harry tells him honestly. "Unless you do something to royally fuck things up... Though even then, I'm sure she'd probably laugh."

Louis nods, smiling slightly. "I'm excited."

When the waitress comes back with the bill, Louis is able to grab it stealthily because Harry's checking the directions to the tattoo parlor. He looks up and notices that Louis is putting his card into the folder thing and immediately argues, "no! Louis, I'm paying!"

"No, you let me stay last night and you invited me over tonight. It's mine," Louis insists, seeing the waitress smile at their playful arguement.

Harry sighs and gives in to Louis. Because he always does.

"You two are cute," the waitress comments as she slides Louis' card. "How long have you been together?"

Louis blushes and glances at Harry to see how flustered he's getting, but he's met only with Harry saying, "a few weeks. He's amazing."

The waitress nods and grins. "That's awesome. Have a great day!"

"Thank you!" Harry responds, returning her grin and handing Louis his card as soon as she walks away.

"How dare you lie like that, Harold?" Louis scolds, blush fading. "We only met last night, idiot."

Harry shrugs, smile widening. "I didn't want to ruin her happiness," he says honestly. "Okay, so since you paid for food I'm paying for both of our tattoos."

Louis shakes his head swiftly and quickly. "No! Unfair!"

They slide their chairs out and head out of the restaurant as Louis continues to complain. Harry maintains a happy smile throughout the walk through the door he holds open for Louis and to his car.

When it becomes clear to Louis that Harry isn't giving up, he grows quiet for a minute or two before saying, "okay, I'll let you pay if you give me one thing."

"What?" Harry asks, wondering yet again what game Louis is playing.

"I'll let you pay for the tattoos if we can call what just went on in there a date. Our first date," Louis says casually, motioning backwards towards the small diner. Harry's getting used to Louis' personality so a part of him knew that was coming, but it doesn't make him blush or become flustered any less.

Harry realizes quickly that he hasn't said anything in response so he just says, "I mean, sure. Of course."

Louis looks at Harry with the purest smile and the softest look that Harry returns easily as he drives. And maybe his blush grows when Louis leans over and kisses his cheek again, but no one needs to know that.


	3. Tattoos and Preparation

Word Count: 3,070

Louis thinks Harry's definitely still blushing from his cheek kiss when they pull into the parking lot of the small tattoo shop. Harry points out Gemma's car of the three that are there and parks next to it. They walk into the building, Harry holding the door open for Louis, and a woman excitedly runs towards them and tackles Harry into a hug. Louis assumes the girl is his sister, and she does look a bit familiar from the last time they had met. 

"Hi, you must be Gemma? I'm Louis," he introduces himself when she's pulled away from her brother though it was probably unnecessary because they'd met.

"I know!" Gemma exclaims, pulling him into a hug as well. She seems very touchy so Louis really should've expected this, but he still gives Harry a surprised look over her shoulder. Harry looks at them fondly, glad that both are being friendly. "I would say Harry's told me so much about you, but he really hasn't..."

Louis lets out a laugh and confesses, "that's understandable seeing as we only met each other last night."

Gemma gasps and looks at Harry to check if this was true. When he nods, she says, "that's insane! You're already getting tattoos?!" Harry grins and shrugs sheepishly. Gemma just shakes her head but doesn't actually seem mad. Then, she asks, "what are you getting?"

"We're gonna get the words 'in my blood' in cute cursive," Louis and Harry share a sweet smile as he explains. Harry then walks to the front desk to talk to the receptionist.

"That's sweet! Is it supposed to be like the Shawn Mendes song, or...?" Gemma asks.

Louis nods, grinning. "It is, yeah. I'd tell you the whole story, but I think-"

Harry catches their attention when he crosses back to them and tells Louis, "I'm going first so you'll have plenty of time to explain then, but right now you've gotta go write out my tattoo, babe." Louis blushes at the word babe but says nothing and walks to the desk.

Before Harry walks down the hallway, Gemma stops him and tells him she needs to ask him something quick but private. Louis takes one of the two seats by the front after drawing out the cursive he'd imagined, adding a small heart to the end as a surprise for Harry.

"Is there something going on between you two?" Gemma asks bluntly. 

Harry becomes flustered quickly, a familiar reaction of Harry's to Gemma. "What? No, of course not. We just met."

"Harry, there's a hickey on your neck." Harry's hands dart immediately to his neck to cover where he knows the spot is, though he's forgotten about his and Louis' bathroom shenanigans from earlier that morning until this moment.

"Different person, Gem, I gotta go." Gemma tries to call after him but he ignores her and continues walking. She sighs and decides to ask Louis instead, so she heads back to sit next to him.

"So, about that story..." She begins, watching as Louis' face turns from neutral to happy.

"Of course! Well, last night I was just kinda chilling at my house, binge watching Glee on Netflix, and suddenly it's three in the morning, so I turn off the TV and go to go to sleep but I hear music coming from next door. But, the thing is, it's not, like, party music or anything. So I walk outside and follow it to the house next to mine, see that there's a ladder up to the roof, and climb up and sit next to this dude. That dude was Harry, and we talked for a few minutes, danced a bit, and then he invited me to sit inside because he was shivering. I ended up just staying the night because I'm lazy, but we decided to get in my blood tattooed because we danced to it," Louis summarizes.

Gemma widens her eyes, nods, and says the occasional "yeah" through his speech, but afterwards she says, "that's so sweet! Much better story than when we met..."

Louis laughs loudly, unknowingly being heard by Harry in a back room, who smiles to himself at the sound. "Hey, mailboxes at six am is always fun!"

"Right, right," Gemma says, laughing as well. "This might sound weird, but do you have any stronger feelings for my brother other than as a friend?"

Louis isn't quite sure how to play this, because yeah, they just had their first date and they've kissed, and yeah, Louis definitely likes Harry as more than a friend, but he doesn't know if that's something he can casually tell Harry's sister. He decides it's fine, though, so he says, "we went on a date just before this, and he's really sweet, so... Yeah. Yeah, I like him."

Grinning and growing more excited by the second, Gemma says, "hell yeah! I knew it. I just asked Haz but he wouldn't crack if anything was going on between you two. I'm happy for him. And you, of course." Gemma's smile is infectious, so Louis feels himself begin to return it.

The two talk about random things like their ages and hobbies for about twenty more minutes until Harry walks out, showing Louis and Gemma his new tattoos. Harry and Louis had decided on doing theirs on their wrist, and Louis notes that Harry's is on his right wrist so he decides he'll get his on his left. Gemma coos about how pretty the one they're getting together looks before heading back to get hers.

Louis motions for Harry to sit next to him where Gemma had been previously as Harry asks, "how was she?"

"Fun!" Louis tells him honestly. "We talked about all the embarrassing things you did in your childhood and teenage years..." 

He's joking, but Harry panics. "What? No! Did she tell you about the time I asked a guy out really awkwardly and then found out it was right in front of his girlfriend?" 

Louis laughs. "No, I was joking about that. So thanks for telling me anyway!" Harry groans and leans back into the chair, dejected. "Don't worry, Haz, I won't judge you. I like her, she's nice."

"Not as nice as me, though!" Harry defends himself. 

"Of course not, sweetheart," Louis agrees, unknowingly making Harry blush yet again.

Gemma's done rather quickly and takes Harry outside to take photos of their brother-sister complimentary tattoos. Louis heads into the back and smiles when he hears Gemma point out the heart he added to Harry's tattoo as well as Harry's loud and fond aw.

Outside, Gemma tells Harry casually, "talked to Louis." Harry looks at her, confused.

"I know," he says.

"Talked to him about you two," she further explains, making Harry groan.

"Gem, I told you not to push this! We're just-"

"He said he likes you," Gemma cuts Harry off, deciding to rush this just once because she likes Louis.

Harry gapes at her as she continues taking photos of their tattoos as if nothing had happened, grinning to herself. "Gemma!" He exclaims. "You can't just tell me that and then not explain!"

Gemma laughs happily and tells her brother, "that's all I know, Harry. But it's enough. And I can tell that you like him too, even if you tried to deny it earlier." Harry responds by just shaking his head at her, trying to hide his happy smile, and walking back inside the store. They wait for a few more minutes inside, Harry ensuring that everything is paid for and Gemma trying to convince him to let her pay for some of it.

Once Louis arrives back in the main area with a giant smile on his face, Gemma gives him and Harry her goodbyes and tells them that she'll see them later tonight at their party. 

While giving him a hug, Gemma whispers into Louis' ear, "don't let those feelings go, okay? You two are perfect for each other." Louis nods, flushed but still smiling genuinely. Then, Harry opens the door for both of them and gives Gemma a hug before leading Louis to his car. 

"What'd my meddling sister tell you?" Harry asks Louis curiously as he begins the drive back to his house.

Louis again is left to think if he should be honest with Harry and risk messing things up, but he again decides to just go with it. "She told me we're perfect for each other and that I shouldn't let my feelings for you go." He glances nervously over at Harry to see him flushed and biting his lip and grins because he made that happen yet again. 

They don't speak for the rest of the short drive, Louis glancing down at his tattoo for only the second time and noticing the handwriting is scratchy but beautiful and so Harry-esque and he loves it.

When they finally pull into Harry's small driveway, they both follow an unspoken pact to remain in the car. Louis is the first to speak. "Thanks for making me come today," he says sincerely.

"No problem," Harry shrugs. "I, um, I like the heart you added to my tattoo."

"Good," is all Louis says in response. They both look ahead at Harry's house but still don't move. Louis' expecting Harry to make the first move to get out of the car, but what he's not expecting is for Harry to make the other kind of first move. That being to kiss Louis.

He leans over the middle armrest and pulls Louis to meet him in the middle with a gentle hand on his face and one in his hair. Louis gasps at the sudden contact but kisses back immediately, sinking into Harry's touch and putting his own hands around Harry's neck.

Louis can't think because Harry's just so amazing and all Harry's thinking is how insane it is that they met each other not even twelve hours ago and here they are making out in a car after getting matching tattoos.

Neither wants to pull away but sadly, breathing is a thing that has to happen. They reluctantly move away from each other, panting. Harry still has a hand on Louis' cheek and one in his hair and Louis still is clutching Harry's neck.

"You're so pretty," Louis basically breathes onto Harry's lips, making him shiver. And then both boys are forehead to forehead, breathing heavily and grinning.

"I like you so much," Harry confesses. "Which in insane because we, like, just met. But it's true."

And maybe Louis kisses him a bit more in the car. And maybe Harry presses Louis to his door as he unlocks it behind the short boy's back. And maybe Louis wants to go further but then Harry pulls away once they've made it into the living room because he's panicked.

"Holy shit, Lou, I'm having a party in a few hours! This place is such a mess, what the hell am I going to do?" Harry exclaims, looking away from Louis for the first time and darting his eyes around his place nervously.

"I have a few ideas," Louis says lustfully, pulling Harry's collar so he's back to looking at him. Harry wants to get caught in Louis' bright-as-hell eyes and he wants to do every single thing Louis is thinking of, but he can't let the boy keep kissing his neck the way he is until his house looks better than it does right now.

"No, no no no, Lou, we gotta do something about this," Harry says, pushing the small boy away from him gently.

Louis groans and Harry almost regrets saying no but doesn't have time to because Louis is walking into the kitchen and saying, "okay, Haz, will you clean up your kitchen quickly? I'm gonna run over to my house and grab those poptarts your friends want but I'll be right back."

Grinning at Louis' eagerness, Harry calls after him, "bring over some clothes too, unless you want to sleep in mine again."

Louis turns from where he stood at Harry's door and leaned against the frame, saying, "oh, you're assuming I'm sleeping here again?"

For once in his life, Harry says confidently, "well, yeah. We're continuing what we just started then, yeah?" And he grins when Louis becomes the flustered one for once.

When Louis leaves and runs off next door, Harry smiles to himself and begins to follow the directions he was given to clean the kitchen. His phone rings just as he's finishing wiping the counter, so he dries his hands and grabs it to answer.

"Hello?" He says into it.

"Haz, thank God you answered," Harry recognizes Zayn's voice say. He laughs audibly and picks up a plastic cup he assumes Louis used earlier to throw away. "This is really important. Do you think Liam would like it if I proposed to him at your party today?"

Harry drops the cup and immedately thanks Louis for being too lazy to use a real glass cup. "What the fuck?!" He exclaims. "Propose, like, to get married?"

Zayn laughs loudly and tells him, "yeah, of course. What other kind of proposal is there?"

"I don't know, Zayn, holy shit!" Harry jumps onto the counter after throwing away the cup and lets out a breath.

"Holy shit what?" Louis yells from the doorway, shutting the door behind him.

"Who is that?" Zayn asks, evidently hearing Louis' voice. "You're not with Liam, are you? He said he was going to get stuff for your party, but I don't know if-"

"No, it's not Liam," Harry says, motioning to Louis to join him on the counter and putting Zayn on speaker. "Zayn, this is Louis Tomlinson, my neighbor. He's coming to the shindig tonight."

Louis grins and says loudly, "hi Zayn!"

"Hi Louis," Zayn laughs. "Anyway, Harry, and Louis too I guess, do you guys think Liam would like that?"

"Like what?" Louis questions before Harry can say anything.

Zayn explains, "If I proposed to him tonight at Harry's party."

Louis grins brightly and whispers to Harry, "I love that you have gay friends!" Then, he says loud enough for Zayn to hear, "I don't know this Liam, but from what Harry's told me he seems like he loves all of you guys a lot, so I think he'd love it if you did that with all of them around. Plus, I know I'd love to see it."

Harry smiles at Louis' excitement and says to Zayn, "I agree with Louis." Zayn lets out a breath but agrees and Harry can tell he's nervous. "Let me know if we can help with it in any way, Z," Harry tries to encourage him.

Harry and Zayn talk for a few more minutes casually and Harry's eyes follow Louis' cleaning path the entire time. 

"Okay, Zayn, I gotta go clean my house for y'all to come over so it doesn't look absolutely disgusting," Harry tells his friend. "Good luck later with Liam. Text me if you need anything.

"Bye Zayn!" Louis yells from the other side of the house.

"Louis says bye," Harry tells Zayn.

"I will, Harry, thank you a lot," Zayn says. "Bye Louis!" 

They hang up and Harry calls to Louis, "Zayn says goodbye! Where are you?"

"Your room," Louis yells back. Harry walks there and sees that Louis is putting various items in his fairly empty drawers. 

"Why are you cleaning in here, Lou?" Harry asks. "It's not like I host parties in my bedroom."

"Damn right you don't," Louis says, making Harry laugh loudly. "I like sleeping in a clean room, do you have a problem with that?"

Harry grins and sits on his freshly made bed, saying, "of course I don't mind, not if you're doing the cleaning." This earns him a gentle slap on the cheek from Louis, who walks over to stand in front of him. Harry gives in to his urge to pull Louis onto his lap.

"We're so domestic, look at us," Louis comments, smiling down at the prettiest boy he's ever met.

"I think we'd win the contest for hottest couple easily," Harry agrees. Both of them notice his use of the word couple but don't mention it. They're both too happy to question what they are. 

"I don't think I've ever been this happy," Louis admits truthfully. 

And Harry looks up and deep into Louis' amazing eyes and knows he feels the same, so he pulls the gorgeous boy down a bit to connect their lips for the hundredth time today.

Louis eventually pulls himself away and off of Harry, who's now the one who doesn't want to clean. Louis insists, though, because "two of your friends are getting engaged tonight, I want your backyard to look amazing."

They walks out together and Louis wonders how two yards next to each other can look so different. Because Harry's has pretty flowers everywhere and it's obvious he spends time out there while Louis' is barely ever used and he's pretty sure there's a whole extended family of squirrels who live around one of his trees. 

"Do you have fairy lights?" Louis questions almost immediately, letting go of Harry's hands to run over to the campfire pit. "Also, we need chairs. Or are your friends the kinds of people who sit on the ground?"

"Fairy lights are in the closet inside, I can grab chairs," Harry says, and they both run back inside to grab what they need. Harry plays music from the speaker he snatches while inside and both of them sing along as Harry sets up some snacks and the chairs and Louis strings pretty lights on the fence. 

Even though Harry's playing his happy:) playlist, In My Blood still plays because it's a nice song, and it reminds Louis that they have to take photos of their tattoos. So he yells, runs over to Harry, and pulls out his phone to do that.

Harry grins when he notices that Louis got his on his left wrist and points it out, saying, "if we hold hands like this they touch!"

Louis looks at him, their hands intertwined and Harry's eyes shining, and puts his other hand on his cheek as he tells him, "I did that on purpose." Harry's quick to use their position to pull Louis into yet another deep kiss.

And, yeah, they've never been happier.


	4. Parties and Kisses

Word Count: 3,450

After preparing quite a bit more for the party, people finally start to arrive at Harry's place. The first ones to ring the doorbell are Gemma and her boyfriend, but Harry assumes it's the pizza guy so he leaves Louis to snack on M&Ms in the yard. 

However, as soon as Louis hears Harry yell sarcastically, "Gemma! It's been such a long time!" he runs to where they're standing at the door. 

"Hi Gemma!" Louis yells, hugging her as if they're besties which, after earlier that day, they pretty much are. 

"Hi guys," Gemma says. "Harry, you know Kevin." Harry pulls the boy next to Gemma into a hug. "Kevin, this is Louis, Harry's boy. Louis, this is my boyfriend, Kevin." Louis notices her almost use of the word boyfriend about him and Harry but shakes Kevin's hand with a polite greeting and ignores it.

"You guys can head out to the yard," Harry tells Louis and Kevin. "Gem, could you help me with something in the kitchen?"

Louis throws him a questioning glance because he thought they'd gotten everything from the kitchen, but doesn't say anything and instead leads Kevin into the backyard obediently, making kind small talk about his and Gemma's relationship.

Harry pulls Gemma by her sleeve into the small kitchen and whisper-yells at her, "Gem! You do not, under any circumstance, call Louis my--that! What you were about to say!"

"What about when you're actually boyfriends?" Gemma asks smugly. Harry hits her arm and glares again. Before he can say anything, a knock comes from the door.

Harry calls, "come in!" but gives Gemma a look to say that their conversation isn't over. 

"Harry! Gemma! Hello!" Niall yells from the entryway. "I've brought Chloe and Skittles. I'm not taking my shoes off."

Louis, hearing this from the back door, walks back in a bit until he can see the blonde kid to say, "okay, fine, not like I spent hours cleaning that floor or anything."

Niall laughs, looking to Harry and asking, "this is the newbie you've invited? Good on ya, mate."

Looking between a smiling Niall and a Louis who's leaning casually against a wall, Harry grins. He motions for Niall to take his girlfriend and introduce themselves properly to Louis, who seems to be waiting for it.

Niall rolls his eyes but complies, holding his hand out to Louis. "I'm Niall. I've known Harry for the longest, no matter what Zayn says. Zayn lies. And this is my girlfriend, Chloe."

Face cracking into a smile, Louis shakes Niall's hand and then Chloe's before saying, "Louis Tomlinson. I'd argue that I've known Harry longest, though it'd sound quite fake seeing as we only met last night."

Chloe lets out a laugh at this, Niall smiling as well before spotting Kevin over Louis' shoulder talking to Gemma and excusing himself to chat with them.

"Your friends are nice," Louis comments to Harry after Chloe and Niall exit.

"Just wait for Liam, he's the nicest," Harry says, only slightly joking. The bell rings then, and Harry says to Louis while walking to the door, "speak of the devil. See? He even rings the bell!"

He pulls open the door and a black haired boy immedately barrels in, straight past Harry and to right in front of Louis, whose eyes widen at the sight. "Louis? I'm Zayn! We spoke on the phone earlier!"

Harry's caught up in speaking to the other boy who came with Zayn at the door so Louis doesn't have an escape from the tight hug Zayn pulls him into. It's okay, though, because afterwards he's able to exclaim, "geez, feels like we're married already. Oh wait! That's you and-"

Zayn widens his eyes and slaps a hand over Louis' mouth, looking quickly to Liam and worrying that he heard Louis' attempt at a joke. "You're so lucky Harry's distracting him," Zayn comments, drawing Louis' attention to the mentioned boy. Harry was quite distracting, actually, Louis thinks. All he can see is Harry's hair, and his gentle hands that stroke through it as he talks, and his lips, and the white teeth that bite them, and his eyes, his beautiful, bright green eyes. 

Louis wonders how it's possible for someone to be this attractive for quite a while before he's brought away by Zayn's snapping in his face. 

"Lover boy said we could go outside," Zayn says, smirking at Louis who seems shocked to be taken out of his staring state.

"Oh, right," Louis says softly, following Zayn out the sliding doors onto Harry's patio.

"Damn, Styles," Niall's saying to Harry when Louis steps out. "You really put a lot of effort into your decor."

Louis grins widely when Harry motions him over to the campfire he's started while saying, "it was actually all Lou here. Says he hates messy spaces."

He raises his hands in surrender as everyone laughs and those who weren't already doing so sit around with their drinks.

"Alrightie," Louis breaks the comfortable silence quickly. "What do y'all typically do at these types of get togethers?" Harry bursts into laughter at something Niall whispers to him softly, but Louis' on Harry's other side so he doesn't heard it. When he calms down, Louis and everyone else look at the two questioningly.

Niall shrugs. "I've never heard a Brit say y'all before. It just sounds so American."

Louis pouts when everyone else follows Harry's laughter from a few seconds before, but brightens quickly when he feels Harry's arm wrap comfortably around his shoulder. Harry's warm lips press against the side of Louis' face and then his nose leans against Louis' hair as he says, "I think it's cute." Louis leans back to smile happily at him before going back to their previous position.

When the two happy people zone back in to their happy friend's conversation, Zayn is explaining truth or dare. Harry pipes in at one point to ask who doesn't know how to play truth or dare, to which Kevin replies, saying he's never played.

"Alright, who's gonna go first?" Zayn asks when he's finished the explanation. Chloe raises her hand shyly, causing everyone to cheer and Niall to look at her with raised eyebrows.

"Gemma, truth or dare," she offers. Gemma picks truth, much to the groans of nearly everyone else, but Chloe gets excited when she asks, "when and how did you and Kevin meet?"

Gemma grins as she launches in to the story, and Louis watches Harry smile along with her. It's clear to Louis that Harry and Gemma's relationship is and has always been strong. 

It's only when she's finished outlining all of the juicy details for the crowd when Kevin whispers something in her ear to make her smile grow even wider.

"Oh, right," she begins, glancing around the circle a bit before letting her eyes just rest on the boy next to her. Gemma leans her head back onto his shoulder as she says casually, "we're engaged."

Harry jumps up immediately with calls of "I knew it!" and "finally!" and Louis, who had turned to see his reaction, was met with Niall's equally surprised face. 

When everyone's calmed down yet again, it's a bit quiet as they all try to process what had happened. Niall speaks up quickly, though, after a glance at Chloe.

"Uh, this is a bit awkward," he says. "Because we were going to have this be the big shocker of the night, but I guess Gem and Kev took that award. Um, I guess I'll say it anyway-"

Chloe cuts in then, deciding that Niall speaks too slow and saying quickly, "Niall and I are engaged too!"

Louis' eyes widen even more, Harry jumps up again to attack the two in hugs, Gemma and Kevin laugh at the audacity of two engagement announcements, and Zayn leans over to whisper to Louis, "just wait until later, I'll have them all beat."

After the chaos cools yet again, Louis smiles at the game of Truth or Dare that continues. Harry decided to sit himself in between Niall and Chloe because "their chemistry is overflowing," so Louis is a bit lonely, but it's okay. People seem to be straying away from asking Louis, though, probably because he's the newest, but soon it's Gemma's turn again and her narrowed eyes dart around the circle until they reach Louis.

He curls his legs up into himself when they remain on him as she says, "Louis, truth or dare."

For some insane reason, Louis decides it's a good idea to say dare to her, and he knows when Niall, Zayn, Liam, and even Harry all draw in audible breaths that it wasn't a good idea.

Gemma grins evilly and says, "I dare you to make out with the cutest person of this group for two minutes straight."

And Louis isn't so much worried about the making out part because, well, he's done that with Harry before. He's scared about the two minutes straight part because, like, breathing.

"You can have two breathing breaks, but neither can be longer than five seconds," Gemma says at Louis' panicked look. He signs, nods his head, and turns to look at Harry for the first time since it was suggested. To his suprise, the boy looks a bit nervous, as if Louis wouldn't pick him as the cutest person there.

"Niall?" Louis says, looking at the blonde boy next to him. His eyes widen, glancing from Chloe to Harry, who looks even sadder now, and then back to Louis.

"Yeah?" Niall asks.

"Will you move over? I have to make out with Harry," Louis says smugly, watching as Harry's head snaps up and a grin reaches his face. Niall rolls his eyes but switches seats with Harry.

Louis climbs happily into Harry's lap, straddling him, and Harry presses their foreheads together as he whispers, "was that necessary? You nearly gave me a heart attack."

Letting out a little giggle but not replying directly to Harry, he calls to Gemma, "start the timer," and connects their lips.

Much like the last time they'd done this, Louis moves his hands into Harry's hair and Harry's hands move to Louis' cheeks. They're both concious of the fact that Harry's friends are around, so it doesn't get too heated, but Louis does let it get a bit out of control when, on their second five second breathing break he chooses to bite Harry's neck quickly instead of breathe.

It proves to have been a good choice for Louis, though, because even though he's completely out of breath for the rest of their make out session, when he pulls away Harry's the most flustered he's ever seen.

"Yeah," Louis says softly into Harry's ear under all the cheers from everyone. "I'd say that was pretty necessary."

Louis shifts around in Harry's lap a bit so he's simply sitting in it, and when the two hear Gemma say knowingly "it almost seems like you two do this often" they both flush red.

Louis continues the game, asking Kevin who proposed, when, and how, and once the attention is off of him he leans his head back against Harry's shoulder, feeling the boy under him still struggling to catch his breath.

They take a break from the game for a bit to roast marshmallows, during which Louis shares a smore with Harry as the rest of the people aw. When most of them are finished and Niall's on his third, Zayn picks the game back up by asking Liam a truth or dare.

Harry grins because he really hopes this is how Zayn's going to propose. They always end up playing truth or dare at these parties, and since Harry was the one to introduce them back in college and they got to know each other through this game, it'd just be so cute.

And so when Liam says dare quite confidently, and when Zayn pulls a small box out of his pocket and gets down on his knee, and when Liam covers his face with his hand, and when everyone else is gasping because they had no idea, Harry burries his head into Louis' shoulder because his eyes are burning with tears.

"Liam," Zayn begins, and Louis feels his own tears coming as well already. "We met each other at a party like this, playing a game like this with some of these people, and I'm so, so happy we kept talking after that. I'm so happy with you, really. I love you, and I'd love it if you married me. So, what I'm saying here is... I dare you to marry me?"

Liam's crying the most out of everyone, though Zayn and Harry are definitely close behind. He nods his head excitedly and they both jump up to hug each other and Louis' definitely a close third with tears.

The game continues after that, yeah, but only for another four or five rounds because Zayn's question sombered everyone. They all say their goodbyes rather quickly, though spread out.

Niall and Chloe have the longest drive, so they head out first. Niall pulls Harry into a hug at the front door, telling him to stay with Louis because he's good for him. Chloe and Louis exchange numbers because, as Louis puts it, "I want to be your friend so I get an invite to the wedding."

Zayn and Liam leave next, around ten minutes after Niall, both of them hugging Harry tightly. Zayn thanks both him and Louis a million times, and when Zayn hugs Louis again he tells him, "if you hurt Harry I swear to God I will not hesitate to murder you." But Louis grins when he hears Zayn tell Harry the same thing about him.

Gemma and Kevin are the last to leave. Gemma pulls Harry into the kitchen for a short conversation while Louis sits semi-awkwardly with Kevin in the living room.

"Louis seems amazing for you, Harry," Gemma tells him. Harry's face flushes and his sister grins at the reaction. "I know you two only met last night but when something's right you know it, yeah? Don't keep him waiting for long, boo."

Kevin, meanwhile, asks Louis, "how long have you and Gemma's brother been dating?"

Louis laughs and shakes his head because it seems like a lot of people are interested in that. "We're actually not technically dating. Only met last night, if you'd believe it."

Kevin also laughs, but shakes his head good-naturedly. "Well, you will be soon, I'm sure. You were created for each other, I swear."

So both boys head to bed with these wise words on their minds. Louis runs back over to his house after his sister and her boyfriend leave to grab his toothbrush and some other things because evidently he neglected doing so before when Harry told him to, so Harry takes this time to call Zayn, even though the boy had just left.

"Harry? Zayn's asleep right now, I'm driving. What's up?" Liam answers the phone. 

Harry lets out a shaky breath as he confesses for the first time, "I want to ask Louis to be my boyfriend."

Liam lets out a yelp and slaps something that Harry soon assumes was Zayn's leg because the other boy yells in pain. "Okay, Harry, you're on speaker with us right now. I need you to say what you just said again so Zayn doesn't murder me for waking him up."

"I, uh, I wanna ask Lou to be mine," Harry says again, quieter this time. "Am I insane? Tell me quickly, he's grabbing stuff from his house and then coming back over."

Zayn screams as well, and it takes a second before Harry hears actual words coming from either boy on the other line because they're just fanboying. When they're done, though, Zayn calms himself and says, "Harry, you idiot, Louis is literally perfect for you."

Liam agrees, giving Harry some more sensible advice before Zayn lets out a laugh at presumably his own thought and then says, "just ask him and then kiss him so you have a few seconds of bliss and don't have to hear the answer yet!"

Laughing, Harry agrees jokingly. They talk for another minute or two before the door opens and Louis walks in, turning back to lock it before crossing to stand next to Harry, who hangs up after saying a quick goodbye.

"Who was that?" Louis asks as they move into Harry's bedroom.

"Zayn and Liam, they thought they left a bottle opener here but didn't," Harry says smoothly, mentally high fiving himself for the cover.

Louis nods and walks into Harry's bathroom, Harry watching from his bed. Louis seems to know his moves are being examined, so he puts on quite a show. 

He begins by changing from his jeans into probably the shortest pair of blue shorts ever made, then he brushes his teeth and somehow even that is sexy to Harry. Then, Louis crosses back into the bedroom after turning off the lights in the bathroom and asks Harry, "do you have a shirt I can wear?" 

Harry nods silently and gets up to find something in his closet. He picks out a soft plain black shirt and turns back around to see Louis in the spot he was previously in, leaning back on his hands and smirking at Harry's reaction to his shirtlessness. 

Biting his lip and trying to withhold everything he wants to do to the boy, Harry holds the soft shirt out to Louis and then turns back to the closet to find something for himself. He ends up with black sweatpants on and is holding a white shirt when Louis calls, "Harry?" from his bed and makes him turn around, shirtless.

Louis' standing up now, and Harry notices that his shirt is long enough to cover the shorts he's wearing. "Mhm?" Harry asks, unable to take his eyes off of Louis' fascinatingly gorgeous legs.

"You can sleep without a shirt on if you want," he says, smiling. Harry wonders if Louis knows how absolutely adorable he is.

Harry only nods and puts the shirt back into his closet, turning the main lights in his bedroom off on his way to the bed Louis is back to sitting on, this time against the headboard. Harry sits next to him and their bodies are engulfed in the darkness of midnight but Harry can definitely feel Louis' leg slide in between his own. He also can feel Louis' head lay on his shoulder and his left hand reach across to rest on the right side of Harry's face. 

Even though the position is probably uncomfortable for Louis, neither dares to make a move. That is, until Louis decides to drop his other hand right in Harry's lap and the latter decides he's had enough. He reaches over and grabs Louis' waist to pull him into his lap yet again. Louis grins down at him, saying, "I've been waiting for that."

Harry presses their lips together, and this time it's not rushed like it was outside earlier after the tattoos or during truth or dare. It's completely peaceful, sweet, and everything a kiss should be. When they pull away, Louis scoots down a bit so his head rests on Harry's chest and he sighs happily.

It's crazy that Harry can tell when the boy is happy just by his sigh. It's crazy that this is only the second night they've spent together and Harry's already about to ask him to be his boyfriend. Everything about them is crazy, but why shouldn't it be?

"Lou?" Harry asks softly, his heart racing and his mind praying that Louis can't feel it. "I have to ask you something."

Louis nods into his chest and Harry can feel his eyelashes again and wonders if Louis knows how amazing that feels.

"Would you like to be my boyfriend?"

Harry feels Louis' head slowly tilt back up, tired eyes still as bright as the night before, when they met and danced to Shawn Mendes on a rooftop.

Louis' lips slide into a large smile as soon as their eyes meet. He doesn't say anything, though, which makes Harry a bit anxious, but when their lips meet in another perfect kiss he feels that fade away.

The first to pull away, Louis leans back a bit and places a hand on Harry's soft cheek. "I'd love to be your boyfriend, Haz. There's nothing holding me back."

They giggle softly at Louis' Shawn Mendes reference and fall asleep in what they both find the most comfortable position; Louis' head on Harry and their legs entwined.


	5. Music and Promises

Word Count: 3,316

"Haz, are you almost ready?" Louis yells to get his boyfriend out of the bathroom. They've still got another half hour before they have to leave for Gemma's wedding, but Louis wants some good make out time and Harry isn't helping by insisting he gets ready in the bathroom.

Harry responds by opening the door and stepping out. Instead of the black suit Louis thought he was going to dress himself in, he's wearing a fancy blue suit with a half-opened white billowy shirt tucked in underneath. Louis sucks in his breath as his gorgeous boyfriend does a twirl, grinning at his reaction.

"Harry," Louis says, grabbing the boy's hands and pulling him closer. "I thought you were wearing the black suit."

Harry smiles and allows himself to be hugged by Louis. "You don't like this one?" he mumbles into Louis' shoulder, who pulls back from the hug to drag his eyes down Harry once again.

"No, I quite like it," Louis says, happy to see the giant smile that rises on Harry's face. "Just wondering why you switched outfit plans."

Harry shrugs, crossing past Louis and leading him into the kitchen. "Gemma and I went shopping last week and I saw this and thought it'd be perfect. It's Gucci."

"Of course it's Gucci," Louis rolls his eyes. He loves his boyfriend's obsession with fancy clothes, and all he can think is how grateful he is that the two of them have amazing jobs so he can afford everything he wants.

"Hey!" Harry protests at Louis' sarcasm. "Not everything is from Gucci, Lou."

"Mhm, sure. Don't act like if I wasn't an Adidas person you wouldn't be dressing me in expensive-as-hell designer clothes every day from that God damn store," Louis says, grinning smugly when Harry gives in and nods because he knows it's true. "Now c'mere, handsome."

It's been a good three months since the night of the party, where three of Harry's closest couple-friends revealed they were engaged and Louis and Harry became boyfriends. Louis moved into Harry's house officially two weeks later because they both realized he spent a total of five minutes at his own place every day. Gemma and Kevin had evidently been planning their wedding for a while, so theirs was first. Liam and Zayn were anxious to tie the knot already, so theirs is planned for a week after Gemma's. Niall and Chloe, though, are both perfectionists, and even though Niall's so in love with her that he'll let her pick most of the things, there are some he just can't give in on. Harry predicts they'll plan it for some time in the next year, Louis thinks even later after that.

"We don't have to leave for another twenty minutes, babe," Louis points out, pulling Harry into his lap gently, wrapping his arms around the boy's waist.

Harry grins sheepishly and presses and quick kiss to Louis' lips before getting back up and pulling him by one of the hands resting on his waist. "I actually thought I could get you into something..." he says, still smiling but nervously this time.

Louis groans but nods and allows himself to be pulled back into the bathroom, where Harry motions for him to sit on the closed toilet while he runs to grab something.

When he returns, Louis is happily surprised to see a blue tie that matches Harry's suit in his hand. Harry stands in front of him and holds it up to Louis' face for a few seconds before saying softly, "it matches your eyes."

Louis grins up at Harry and takes off the black tie he's already wearing and sets it on the counter but doesn't make a move to grab the tie from Harry's hands. When he finally realizes what Louis wants, Harry sits himself in Louis' lap comfortably again and begins to tie the tie.

After he's finished, Harry presses a light kiss to Louis' neck, then his nose, and then his lips. "You're beautiful," he whispers, nudging their foreheads together.

"And you're perfect," Louis responds. Both boys would quite like to say the three words they want to say so badly but neither knows if it's too soon, so they don't. It's an endless cycle of truthful compliments instead.

"Let's get going, yeah?" Harry says, getting off of Louis and pulling him up and out of the bathroom. "If we get there early enough you can meet my family while they're still sober!"

Louis laughs nervously and follows him to his car. "Shit, Harry, I didn't even realize I'd be meeting your family today," he says as Harry begins driving.

Harry only laughs. "Trust me, babe, they know enough about you already. No need to be nervous."

Blushing and looking down at his hands in his lap, Louis says, "I know, but I'm still scared. Especially about your mum! If your mum doesn't like me I'm actually screwed."

"That's very true," Harry agrees. "I go along with anything my mother says, so if she doesn't like you, you're out." Louis shakes his head and groans, knowing Harry's joking but that there's a bit of truth to his statement. "Don't be nervous, Lou. It'll be fine."

And it is fine. Louis meets Harry's mum first, almost as soon as they walk into the church, and Harry leaves them quickly because he has to get ready with the other groomsmen. A benefit he'd explained to Louis before of being the bride's beloved brother and the groom's friend was that he gets to be the best man.

Anne, Harry's mother, leads him gently by the arm and introduces him to the entire extended family as Harry's favorite person in the world besides herself. Once they've seated themselves quite close to the front, she whispers to Louis that her description of him was exactly what Harry told her everytime they talked. Louis flushed a deep red at that, attempting to hide his face from Anne but assuming he failed when he hears her laughter.

The rest of the ceremony goes smoothly. Harry looks stunning in his blue suit on the stage and locks eyes with Louis too many times to count. Harry cries when Gemma and Kevin say their vows and Louis cries when Harry gives an amazing speech Louis didn't even know about.

When they arrive back to their house early the next morning after the celebration that night, Harry kisses Louis senseless in their bed even though they're both quite tired.

"What was that for?" Louis questions, struggling to keep down a yawn.

Harry shrugs. "My family loves you," is all he says before pulling Louis back for another kiss.

"Really?" Louis says breathlessly, grinning wildly and rolling off of Harry. "Yes!" He yells excitedly, getting up and dancing to himself. "Your family likes me!"

Harry watches him fondly from his spot on the bed, just so happy he found this wonderful person. "Not just like," he interrupts his boyfriend's wild dancing, standing and pulling him back and into a tight hug "Love."

Louis shivers at that word, and they both again want to say the words to one another. Harry pulls away from the hug, though, and goes to their dresser to grab something.

"Lou?" Harry asks, turning back around and allowing Louis to see the envelope in his hand. "It's almost your birthday, so I got you this."

Groaning, Louis takes the envelope from Harry and opens it, complaining, "you didn't have to get me anything, Haz, I live with you, that's gift enough. Honestly, this is way too--holy shit."

Harry laughs at his reaction, proud of himself for making Louis flustered for once.

"You got me fucking Shawn Mendes tickets? Holy shit, Harry," Louis close to yells, hugging Harry tightly again. Soon, though, he's pushing Harry away and yelling, "what the fuck, Haz! Why would you spend so much money on me?! This is absolutely insane!"

Louis seems to actually be waiting for an answer on that question, so Harry says simply, "because I'm in love with you."

And then Louis is left flustered yet again from something Harry's done, the second time in the same day. 

"Harry, I, you, we, what?" Louis stutters sitting on the bed for a second, the two tickets still clutched in his hands.

"And it's not like the tickets are just for you," Harry continues casually, grinning at Louis' incredulous look at him as he speaks. "I'm going as well, I hope you don't mind."

"Holy shit, Harry," Louis says for the thousandth time. He stands and pulls Harry in for another hug. "Thank you so much."

"It's not a problem, Lou. Anything for you."

"I'm in love with you too, you know," Louis whispers into Harry's hair.

"I know," Harry says, smiling. "It'd make this situation a bit awkward if you weren't."

And then Louis is laughing and pulling away from the hug, grabbing his phone and playing an upbeat Shawn Mendes song before dancing again with Harry happily.

When Liam and Zayn's wedding finally rolls around, Louis allows himself to be so totally extra with Harry. And so he goes along with wearing a bright pink suit with a black button up underneath because Harry's wearing a black suit with a bright pink button up underneath and Louis likes that their relationship is so obvious.

Harry is, again, in the wedding party, however this time, Louis is too. Harry is Liam's best man, but only because, after some questioning as to why he's not Zayn's, Liam explained that Zayn wanted to ask Louis to be his. And so they stood onstage, complimentary suits complimenting one another, and made heart eyes to each other the entire ceremony. 

The celebrations after that were even crazier than they were for Gemma's wedding. Louis and Harry spent basically all of it making out in various places, while Niall, Chloe, Gemma, and Kevin took creepy photos of them from afar.

Louis really should've known that once he indulged in Harry's complimentary outfit ideas at one event he'd be agreeing for the long term. For the Shawn Mendes concert, Louis wears a bright pink shirt similar to his suit for Zayn's wedding along with ripped black jeans, while Harry wears a black shirt halfway buttoned up and pink dress pants that Louis laughed at at first but is now speechless at as he watches Harry dance around their kitchen. So maybe he doesn't mind their matching so much.

Louis pulls Harry into a passionate kiss and mumbles "I'm so in love with you" into his lips. They'd never spoken about it, but an agreement between them was to say I'm in love with you instead of I love you because it feels more real. And to Harry and Louis, at that moment especially, it does feel very real.

During the concert itself, Harry is overtaken with emotion. He high fives his three-months-ago self for buying those tickets for Louis and him because the look that comes across Louis' face when Shawn Mendes sings, dances, jokes, and laughs is worth it.

The last song of the night, as Shawn announces, is Fallin' All In You, one of the songs Louis and Harry danced to on the night they met. When he says the name, Louis glances up at Harry, who's been holding him nearly the entire night, and gives him the softest look ever, mouthing "I'm in love with you."

Shawn dedicates the song to all of the couples in the audience and even goes as far as to point out Harry and Louis, and Harry thanks his past self again because Shawn asks for their names and how long they've been together and Louis looks so overjoyed to be talking to his favorite artist. And then when he actually plays the song and Louis dances with him like he had on the night they met, Harry knows he wants to be with this boy forever.

The night of the exact time Harry met Louis only three years later is going to be amazing. Harry knows this, because he enlisted Zayn, Liam, Niall, Chloe, and even Gemma to set up his living room and his roof in the precise way he has outlined in his mind while he takes Louis out for ice cream.

Louis, however, has no idea why his boyfriend is acting so crazy. He's checking his phone constantly, trying to act chill about it but whenever Louis questions him he brushes it off awkwardly. The only time he acts relatively normal is when they arrive back at their house after dinner and Harry opens the car door for Louis, motioning cheesily for him to get out.

"Why thank you, good sir," Louis says, grinning and allowing Harry to knot their hands together as they walk to the door. Harry also opens that door, and prays to any God that possibly exists that all of his friends are gone like they said they would be.

When he catches a glimpse of the empty hallway with no random shoes, he grins to himself and his nerves begin to fade away.

"Would you like to join me on the roof?" Harry says, ensuring that Louis doesn't look into the living room as they pass it.

Louis looks unsure but agrees, allowing Harry to lead him back outside and up a ladder he has propped against the wall. Louis gasps at the elegant setup that Gemma and Chloe somehow managed to fit on the small piece of roof that could hold anything.

"Harry," Louis whispers, sitting to Harry's left like they had sat on that night.

Having already planned out a speech for the night, Harry shakes his head, putting a hand on Louis' outstretched leg for comfort as he begins. "Louis William Tomlinson. I met you right here, not at this time because I think we both know you'd hate me if I made you get up here at four in the morning. But we met here, in this exact spot, three years ago, and ever since then I've been the happiest human being on the face of this planet. You just waltzed in to my life when I wasn't really feeling anything at all, just going through the motions, and that wasn't just meant to be a Shawn Mendes reference but I guess it was anyway."

Louis giggles but doesn't say anything, allowing Harry to continue.

"You danced with me, a complete stranger, willingly, and you answered my questions and sang along to the songs with me. I didn't realize it then, but I know it now. I'm in love you."

Harry looks at Louis for the first time in his whole speech, grabbing both of his hands and pulling them to his chest. Louis' eyes are shining in the moonlight and Harry wonders how young him could've been so mistaken and thought they were grey. They're such a bright blue and Harry loves that.

"We spent that night together, and every night after that as well, but that particular night when we laid in my bed and played twenty questions and then you fell asleep I could feel your eyelashes on my skin and I thought that it was maybe my favorite feeling ever.

"I don't know your side of our story, Louis. But I'm telling you mine because I think it's beautiful."

Louis nods, breaking the eye contact they'd held to wipe away a few of the tears that had already fallen.

"But now, and I really have to ask, Lou..." Harry trails off, glancing up once to see Louis' hopeful face because he thinks he knows what's coming. "Would you like to come inside?"

Louis groans, laughing along and standing when Harry offers him his hand for help. They walk into their home yet again and this time Harry leads Louis into the living room where he's pleasently surprised at how well Zayn, Liam, and Niall were able to make their place look. 

"Who arranged all this?" Louis asks softly, hugging into Harry's side as he examines the wall of photos Harry had asked for.

"I thought of the designs for it all, Zayn, Liam, and Niall did all the actual work," Harry explains, adding, "Gem and Chloe did the roof."

Louis nods, and after a few minutes of comfortable silence while they both look through the photos, Harry leads him to sit on the couch they'd picked out together.

"So this is where things get incredibly cheesy, I'm afraid," Harry admits, making Louis laugh again. "I love you so much, Louis, and I know I tell you that every day but I'm just so happy that I found an amazing boy like you to spend my life with. You probably already know where this is going, but please let me just tell you one more thing--I knew I would fall in love with you from the first time I saw you. How could I not? I think it's a miracle I found you before anyone else snatched you up, because you're so amazing, Louis. I'd quite love to spend every single day for the rest of our lives together, if you'd have me."

Louis is crying again, and that intensifies when Harry gets down on one knee and pulls out the small box in his pocket.

"I bought this ring only a year or so after we met. That's how confident I was that I'd be saying this to you now," Harry explains, grinning through his tears. "So, Louis, when we first met, you told me you liked the last name of Styles more than you liked Tomlinson. Would you like to make that real? And by that, I mean, would you marry-"

"Of course I'll marry you, Harold," Louis says suddenly, pulling Harry up from his knee and hugging him. "You could've asked me that night on the roof and I would've said the same thing."

Harry kisses him and hopes that every emotion he feels is displayed in the kiss, but afterwards he sits them back on the couch and questions Louis' last statement. "Are you serious about that?"

Louis grins, nodding. "Yeah. It felt like I was so done with waiting for the right person and then I just randomly stumbled upon you and it was... It was just right. So yeah, if you had asked me that night, I would've said yes. Obviously, I'm glad we waited, but really, there was never anything holding me back."

-

Authors Note:

I really don't know how this is the shortest chapter when so many things go on. I hope you like it, though! It's still over 3,000 words so hopefully I won't be kicked out as a disappointment.

Anyway.

That's the end of There's Nothing Holding Me Back. I really hope you enjoyed reading this story because I genuinely loved writing it. I've always wanted a Larry story that was literally just fluff and no (detailed ;) smut or drama but I never found good ones, so I wrote this.

I tried to find the Tumblr post I was inspired by because it was worded so well, but it's really similar to the description of this book. Huge thanks to whoever wrote that originally:)

Also a huge thanks to Shawn Mendes for making the incredible music he does; thanks to Spotify Premium as well because I downloaded all of his songs and listened to the playlist nonstop on a fourteen hour flight in June. 

This is probably one of my favorite Larry stories I've written or started writing so I'm really excited to release it to the world. I don't post new stories until the entire thing is written, which only became a rule of mine after I started a Lams fanfiction called Hopelessly Devoted and then completely lost interest in it a few months later. Sorry. 

Xoxo always!


End file.
